Why the Bradford family is suing AG Marshall, Hoover police

The family of E.J. Bradford, who was shot and killed by Hoover Police last Thanksgiving, have filed a lawsuit seeking the release of all videos of the incident obtained by Hoover PD and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.

AG Steve Marshall elected not to prosecute the officer who shot Bradford, sparking outrage among many in the state. Bradford’s shooting followed another shooting that occurred Thanksgiving night in the Galleria Mall.

After that shooting, as shoppers were scrambling away from the shooter, Bradford pulled a handgun for which he had a carry permit. He was almost immediately shot three times in the back by a Hoover officer who never shouted instructions at Bradford.

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Marshall determined that the officer acted within the scope of his duties, and issued a report detailing the steps he took to make that determination.

The report included two surveillance videos from stores within the mall, but it failed to include any of the dozens of videos — cell phone, police body cam, etc. — that law enforcement officials said they collected during the course of the investigation.
The Bradford family, which has promised to file a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the officer and Hoover PD, now want those videos.

The ACLU of Alabama, the NAACP and attorney Benjamin Crump have joined in the lawsuit. It is also requesting the names of officers involved and all documents related to the case. Additionally, the group has requested all training materials associated with the Hoover PD.

Josh Moon is an investigative reporter and featured columnist at the Alabama Political Reporter with years of political reporting experience in Alabama. You can email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.